(INSIDE THE GAMES) - Team Fiji athlete Eugene Vollmer has thanked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Oceania National OlympicCommittees (ONOC) for their financial assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.

The multi-disciplined athlete built his own benchpress and squat rack that holds up to 200 kilometres, using funds from theOlympic Solidarity scholarships for Tokyo 2020 athletes programme to do so. 

Vollmer and fellow Team Fiji hopeful Mustafa Fall have been using the rack during lockdown in Fiji, with restrictive measures put in place in the country to contain the spread of coronavirus. 

He has thanked the IOC, ONOC and the FijiAssociation of Sports and National Olympic Committee for the financial assistance.

"This project has also allowed me to keep busy every day since this lockdown and we might look into building a speed sled or even an indoor shot put ring with some input from Mustafa on that one,"Vollmer said.

"I would like to thank the IOC and ONOC for providing the financial assistance through FASANOC for the training equipment that has been supplied that will help us athletes during these trying times.

"I would like other athletes to know that if they really want something they can do it themselves with self motivation and a strong will."

Vollmer is one of six Fijian athletes who received a grant specifically to assist towards qualifying for the Tokyo 2020Olympic Games.

He recently competed at the Gold Coast 2018Commonwealth Games in the long jump, triple jump and 4x100 metre relay. 

Following the postponement of Tokyo 2020 to2021, a supplementary budget of $15 million (£12million/€14million) was added to the Olympic Solidarity athletes programmes.

The budget allocated to the IOC subsidies programme for National Olympic Committees has also been increased by $10.3million (£8.3million/€9.5million).

Vollmer is one of six Fijian athletes who received a grant specifically to assist towards qualifying for the Tokyo 2020Olympic Games.

He recently competed at the Gold Coast 2018Commonwealth Games in the long jump, triple jump and 4x100 metre relay. 

Following the postponement of Tokyo 2020 to2021, a supplementary budget of $15 million (£12million/€14million) was added to the Olympic Solidarity athletes programmes.

The budget allocated to the IOC subsidies programme for National Olympic Committees has also been increased by $10.3million (£8.3million/€9.5million).